Ponytail cap

ABSTRACT

A cap having a visor and a passageway for a ponytail is described herein. The cap is composed of a body having a front portion, a back portion, side portions, and a lower peripheral edge. The back portion of the cap body includes an inverted U-shaped opening to define the passageway. A sweatband is coupled to the lower peripheral edge of the cap body, wherein the sweatband includes an elastomeric section. According to one exemplary embodiment, the visor can be obliquely coupled to a substantial portion of the lower peripheral edge. Also, in one exemplary embodiment, ribbons can be coupled to opposite ends of the passageway. The ribbons may be used for tying the ponytail or tied together for decorative purposes.

BACKGROUND

Generally caps or hats are worn by wearers while engaging in outdooractivities as the bill of the cap or hat provides shading for the eyesof the wearer from the sun. Numerous types of caps have been availablefor a number of years having various features in order to fit a varietyof head sizes and/or hairstyles. For those individuals that have longhair, it is common for them to bundle the hair into one or more“ponytails.” However, when individuals wear a ponytail, it is difficultfor them to wear caps, as the ponytail interferes with the comfortand/or fitment of the cap on the head of the individual. Accordingly,various caps have been developed which utilize openings on the back orsides of the cap to allow the ponytail through the opening so that thecap better fits the head of the wearer. However, these caps and hatshave not been altogether desirable from an aspect of being comfortablyfitted to the head of the wearer. Also, the traditional bill of the capis not sufficiently large to provide adequate shading of the eyes and/orface of the wearer.

SUMMARY

Exemplary embodiments relate to caps having a front, back, and sideportions. The cap also includes an inverted U-shaped opening on the backportion of the cap. The cap includes a visor that is obliquely coupledto a substantial portion of the body to provide adequate shading for anindividual user. The cap also includes an elastic sweatband coupled tothe lower peripheral edge of the body wherein the sweatband includes anelastomeric section. The elastomeric section allows the circumference ofthe cap to expand so as to accommodate users having different sizedheads' hairstyles. Accordingly, an individual wearing a ponytail cancomfortably wear the cap. In one exemplary embodiment, the cap mayinclude ribbons that are coupled to the lower edge of the cap adjacentto the opening on the back of the cap that may be utilized for tying thehair for decorative purposes and providing additional securement of thecap on the wearer's head.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of cap;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the cap shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the cap shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the cap shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appendeddrawings is intended as a description of exemplary embodiments and isnot intended to represent the only forms in which the exemplaryembodiments may be constructed and/or utilized.

Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1 is directed to one exemplary embodimentof a ponytail cap 100. The cap 100 is composed of a bill or visor 104and a main body, which is composed of a plurality of gores 101, 102,103, 201, 202, 203. While the cap 100 of FIG. 1 has six gores, thosefamiliar in the art will appreciate that the number of gores may bevaried. That is, a plurality of gores may be used to form ahemispherical cap 100. In an alternate embodiment, the gores 101, 102,103, 201, 202, 203 may also include air vents (not shown) forventilation purposes.

As those skilled in the art will appreciate, a plurality of materialsmay be used to form the gores of the cap. For instance, in one exemplaryembodiment, multi-axially stretchable fabric may be used to form thegores in the cap. In another exemplary embodiment, unilaterallystretchable fabric may be used to form the gores of the cap. In yetanother exemplary embodiment, a combination of multi-axially stretchableand unilaterally stretchable fabric may be used to form the gores of thecap.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cap 100 also includes a visor 104. The visor 104is coupled to the lower peripheral edge of the main body. According toone exemplary embodiment, the visor 104 wraps substantially around theperiphery of the cap 100 as shown in FIG. 4. In an alternate embodiment,the visor 104 may be coupled to a portion of the cap 100. As shown inFIG. 2, the visor 104 has a substantially large surface area and has agenerally oval outline. Furthermore, the visor 104 has curved sides thatprovide additional shading for the wearer's face. As shown in FIG. 1,the visor is obliquely coupled to the main body of the cap 100. That is,the top edge of the visor 104 extends at a downward angle from the lowerperipheral edge of the cap 100. In alternate embodiments, the visor 104may extend from the cap such that the visor 104 is substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cap 100.

As shown in FIG. 4, a passageway 106 is positioned at the back of thecap 100 and is sized so that a ponytail can extend through thepassageway 106 when the cap 100 is fitted onto the wearer's head. Also,as shown in FIG. 4 in one exemplary embodiment, the cap includes ribbons105 that are adjacently affixed to the passageway 106. The ribbons 105can be utilized for tying a bow or gathering of hair that extendsthrough the passageway 106. As shown in the figures, the ribbons 105 arepermanently affixed to the main body of the cap 100. According to oneexemplary embodiment, the ribbons 105 may be reversibly attached to thecap by various means such as, but not limited to, Velcro or snapenclosures. In another exemplary embodiment, the ribbons 105 and thevisor 104 may be made from material having the same color. In alternateembodiments, the ribbons 105 and the visor 104 may have differentcolors.

As shown in FIG. 3, a headband 300 is coupled to the lower periphery ofthe cap's main body. In one exemplary embodiment, the headband 300 maybe of rather thin dimensions, but those skilled in the art willappreciate that the headband 300 may have varying dimensions. Also, theheadband may be a one-, two-, or three-component band. In one exemplaryembodiment, the headband 300 is a three-component elastic band asdescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/637,783, which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In another exemplaryembodiment, the headband 300 is a single, unfolded layer. In yet anotherexemplary embodiment, the headband 300 may be folded.

As shown in FIG. 3, the headband 300 terminates at the opening of thepassageway 106. An elastic band 200 then spans the opening of thepassageway 106. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the headband 300 and theelastomeric band 200 are separate pieces. In another exemplaryembodiment, the headband 300 and the elastic band 200 may be a unitarystructure.

The elastic band 200 allows for the expansion of the circumference ofthe cap 100 so that the cap 100 fits comfortably on the wearer of thehat. Also, the elastic nature of the elastic band 200 ensures that thecap 100 is snuggly fit on the wearer's head. Because the elastic band200 is stretchable, the circumference of the cap 100 may be enlarged toaccommodate varying user's head sizes. Additionally, given the elasticnature of the band 200, the band 200 may be moved downward to increasethe opening size of the passageway 106. Accordingly, the cap 100 may besecurely fitted onto the wearer's head as the top of the passageway 106and the top of the band 200 may securely engage the user's hair and/orponytail.

While exemplary embodiments of the cap have been described herein, it isrecognized that additional variations may be devised without partingfrom the invented concept.

1. A cap comprising: a body having a front portion, a back portion, sideportions, and a lower peripheral edge, wherein the back portion includesan inverted U-shaped opening; a sweatband coupled to the lowerperipheral edge, wherein the sweatband includes an elastomeric section;a visor obliquely coupled to a substantial portion of the lowerperipheral edge; and a first ribbon and a second ribbon coupled toopposite ends of the inverted U-shaped opening.
 2. The cap of claim 1wherein the body comprises a plurality of gores.
 3. The cap of claim 2wherein the body comprises six gores.
 4. The cap of claim 1 wherein theelastomeric section of the sweatband spans the inverted U-shapedopening.
 5. The cap of claim 2 wherein the visor, the first ribbon, andthe second ribbon have a same color.
 6. The cap of claim 1 wherein thebody is formed from unilaterally stretchable fabric.
 7. The cap of claim1 wherein the body is formed from multi-axially stretchable fabric.
 8. Acap comprising: a plurality of gores defining a body having a lowerperipheral edge, wherein the body includes a passageway sized to hold aponytail; a sweatband having an elastomeric section, wherein theelastomeric section of the sweatband spans the passageway; a firstribbon and a second ribbon coupled to the body adjacent to thepassageway; and a visor obliquely coupled to the body, wherein the visoris generally oval-shaped.
 9. The cap of claim 8 wherein six gores definethe body.
 10. The cap of claim 8 wherein wherein the visor, the firstribbon, and the second ribbon have a same color.
 11. The cap of claim 8wherein the body is formed from unilaterally stretchable fabric.
 12. Thecap of claim 8 wherein the body is formed from multi-axially stretchablefabric.
 13. A cap comprising: six gores defining a body having a lowerperipheral edge; an inverted U-shaped opening positioned along the lowerperipheral edge of the body; a sweatband having an elastomeric section,wherein the elastomeric section of the sweatband spans the invertedU-shaped opening; a first ribbon and a second ribbon coupled to oppositeends of the inverted U-shaped opening; and a visor has a generallycircular outer radius and a U-shaped recess, wherein U-shaped recess isobliquely coupled to the lower peripheral edge of the body.
 14. The capof claim 13 wherein the visor, the first ribbon, and the second ribbonhave a same color.
 15. The cap of claim 14 wherein the body is formedfrom unilaterally stretchable fabric.
 16. The cap of claim 13 whereinthe body is formed from multi-axially stretchable fabric.